Some good news to end the year on. Visits to England's museums and galleries have risen by 75% since entry charges were scrapped three years ago. The National Museums Liverpool recorded a 94% rise in visitors. Of course, these figures don't include all the small independent galleries. artinliverpool.com will be doing its utmost to boost the local figures further and raise public awareness of fine art over the coming years. (end of self-advert)

icLiverpool Link
"CULTURE chiefs are warning that there is not enough cash to satisfy public demand for events celebrating Liverpool's Capital of Culture win."

No doubt we'll have many more news items on this theme over the next few years.

Just as the year ends, I'm nostalgic for the summer's Biennial, a feeling helped along by these photos by someone called Andrew Mason which have been posted at flickr. Mixed within the beer and icecream are some excellent shots of Peter Johansson's 'Musical Royale' or 'the red house at the Pier Head which plays Abba four hours on end'. It's quite shocking to see it in context, clashing marvellously with the grey of the Liver Buildings in the background.

For the unintiated, flickr is an online photo sharing and management system. It offers the facility for anyone, bloggers or amateur or professional photographers to share their pictures online in one place with minimum of fuss. Collections are usually organised under user profiles and or collective user groups. The more useful and interesting method is using 'tags', keywords which describe whatever's in the photo. That way if someone wants to see lots of pictures of snowmen, they can search under that tag and a page will appear filled with carrot noses and stone eyes.

One of the most frequently used tags is based on geographic location which is how I found Andrew's work. As you would imagine, the Liverpool collection features many pictures of tourist sites (lots of Beatles) but offers a unique way of seeing how visitors actually view the city -- what they find the most appealing. A user called binarydreams spent some time at St Luke's Church and gave it marvellously gothic angles. But local people are also presenting their own view of the city. I took some pictures of the snow on Christmas Day then rushed to post them on flickr only to find someone else had been having the same idea.

Although the site is only in its opening stages, it's already attracted thousands of users and has come to the attention of Google and it's thought that they will be putting a bid in to buy the company in the new year. As the user base grows, newer applications are developing, with small communities sprouting under tags and groups so that people with a particular interest can share their pictures and knowledge (via message boards and the ability to comment on the pictures). There is already the start of a Liverpool group (spectacular picture of the Williamson Square fountain included). With understandable worries to do with copyright and someone well, stealing the images there still wouldn't be anything to stop an artist from posting their work here if they didn't want mess about with coding their own website and I've seen professional photographer's entire portfolios on as well. I would love to see what something which brings together the work of Liverpool artists might look like.
The best way I've found to experience all this is via a RSS feed using a news aggregator (I use Bloglines but there are others). That way as new photos are uploaded to flickr they appear in the reader as a steady stream almost like someone showing you their holiday photos. I'll let you decide if that's a good thing, but it's a chance to see what other people have been up to in the city.

The Gift of Gustav and Elly Kahnweiler

Can't quite make up my mind about Cubism or any 'ism really. Some I like and some I don't but the overall effect seemed a bit gloomy. Not keen on Braque's 'Billiard Table' which looks terribley vandalised but I do like his charcoal still lifes. There's Picassos a plenty but I prefer the Andre Masson works. There's also a few Henry Moore maquettes.

'Seeing Is Believing' at Liverpool Tate.

Seeking sanctuary from the heaving crowds of bargain hunters in the city centre I visited the relatively quiet Tate. I hate the way crowds move so slowly, I've always been a fast walker, as a fan of Tolkien I took on the nickname of 'Strider' many years ago. I reckon if I'm forced to walk below a certain speed I lose my balance and fall over.

This exhibition is another that's linked to the City of Faith 2004 theme and is the first at Tate for 10 years to involve local people in the development. An advisory group was formed made up of members from different faiths, their comments are printed below the label for each picture. I found these useful as the relevance to faith is not obvious with all the works. For instance Anish Kapoor's 'As If To Celebrate, I Discovered a Mountain Blooming with Red Flowers' which I really like, was chosen because its colours are reminiscent of Hinduism and the Festival of Holi.

There are some familiar paintings from the Tate Collection here by Barnett Newman, Bridget Riley, Stanley Spencer and Graham Sutherland amongst others and sculptures by Elizabeth Frink.

Indigo Art, based in Liverpool now has an annual art prize. The first winner was Myfanwy Johns.

Daily Post report

Indigo website report and pictures

This was posted from the Arts Council Maillist.

Go Green Month
Liverpool Community College Student Association

If you have skills in these areas and would like more information please
contact Alison Cottenham - Enrichment Officer - on 0151 252 3378 by Friday
14th January at the very latest.

Liverpool Central Library until 31st March 2005
After leaving the Walker on Sunday I called into the Central Libraries next door. Isn't it great that Liverpool libraries are open on Sundays, I can't quite get used to the idea. If you haven't been here before its well worth a visit just to see some of the rooms. This exhibition is in the Picton room on the 2nd floor, this is a large round room with a huge domed ceiling, the slightest noise echoes all round the room.

The main item is, of course, the huge volume 'The Birds of America'. It is printed on very large paper known as double elephant folio. Audubon insisted that all the birds should be illustrated in actual life size, even so some are shown in distorted poses to fit within the frame. Unfortunately you can only see the two pages at which the book is open, its in a closed display case. The pages are turned every Tuesday and Thursday. There are several prints on display around the room and there are smaller books by Audubon and his contemporaries, not just of birds but other natural history too.

The slideshow is interesting partly because of his connections with Liverpool. He was lucky when he arrived from America in 1826 to fall in with the wealthy Rathbone family who invited him to stay at their home in Greenbank. He obtained letters of introduction to many local dignitaries such as William Roscoe and Lord Stanley.

His illustrations weren't always anatomically perfect and he had an annoying habit of announcing he'd (incorrectly) discovered new species and naming them after his friends (e.g his Stanley Hawk was already known as Cooper's Hawk). But he was the first to depict birds in their natural environment in realistic poses rather than the stuffed, static profiles people were used to and the paintings are big, brightly coloured and full of energy.

In the Bloomberg New Contemporaries this year there was a short video by David Rowland entitled 'Bill Viola is Rubbish!' I have to say, I agree! Well, perhaps 'rubbish' is a bit harsh, I just find it boring but then I'm bored by most video artwork so what do I know, a lot of people find this really moving.

There are 3 pieces: 'Observance' a single screen work which the Walker has purchased; a diptych called 'Mater' and a triptych called 'Witness' on loan from private collections. When I was there today the triptych had been reduced to a diptych as one of the plasma screens was broken. They all involve people acting out emotions such as fear, joy, horror etc. Viola records them at high speed on 35mm film, transfers to digital and plays back at very slow speed. Because of the high-definition film the action moves very smoothly, none of the stuttering you can get with some slow-mo and the picture and colours are perfectly clear.

So technically, very good, just a shame about the content. You have to see it for yourself though, its down to personal taste and you can admire the technique. Hope they get the broken screen working soon. Link

Britain's 50 Best Dressed Men Photographic exhibition at the Conservation Centre until Feb 20th Best Dressed!? Liam Gallagher in his anorak! Robbie Williams in an a leather suit! Give me a break. Yes, I'm bitter. I've invested tens of pounds on Marks & Spencers' jeans and tops and didn't even make it on to the shortlist. It seems that to qualify you also have to be famous.

Actually these pictures have more to do with celebrity than fashion. Some portraits you don't see what they're wearing, Roger Moore wears a black bow tie, George Best rides a red (girls) bike when he was banned from driving, the Rolling Stones during their blousey, dandy period wearing jackets with lapels that need a very wide-angle lens to capture.

Seriously though, there's a lot of good photography here, it is organised by GQ magazine and Getty Images Gallery. I'm going to organise my own exhibition of best dressed men on a £50 budget.

The Annual Auction at Arena gallery has become a popular pre-christmas event both for serious art collectors and others who are just looking for gift ideas. Artists donate work(s) so its not going to be their best stuff, all the proceeds go to fund Arena projects.

The evening didn't get off to a great start for me as the promised mulled wine didn't materialise but still plenty of normal wine and beer in exchange for donations (i.e. dead cheap). There were over 50 lots to be auctioned and the man with the gavel was Dr Paul O'Keefe who was very entertaining, the large crowd of bidders were in good spirits, joking, heckling and cheering if a price went above £100. Most items went for between £15 and £40, the highest was £160 for a large colourful canvas by Louise Wilkie.

There was also a raffle, the first prize was a christmas tree decorated with Yoko Ono nipple badges. They guy who won it now has the problem of getting it home.

Of course, I hadn't intended to bid for anything but got carried away by it all and managed to secure a very nice ink drawing by Paul Elliker who had a painting in the recent John Moores exhibition and a scarf ('art for the neck') by the up-and-coming local fashion designers Regina & Sarah.

The Beck's shortlist has just been announced and looks interesting. One of the six artists, Lali Chetwynd performed at the beginning of the Biennial, she did the Bat Out of Hell song dressed in a giant bat outfit. Last night she appeared on the Culture Show as a carrot. Traditionalists might like to know that she is a fine painter too, she just likes dressing up I think.

There's lots of Rolf Harris paintings (limited edition prints) at Rennie's in Bold St. Other featured artist is Doug Hyde, bit too cute for my taste. Loads of other prints of course. Take a look at Rennies website

Guardian report - Artist Simon Combes Even painting wildlife can be very dangerous, I always stay well away from any animal.

Yes, I tried to think of a way of adding Charity into the title but couldn't come up with anything, sorry. The Faith exhibition is in the Cornerstone gallery which is on the Hope at Everton part of Liverpool Hope University in Haigh St. 2004 has been the Year of Faith in the city so a group of local artists known as 'Opus' were invited to exhibit works on the theme. Opus are: Gareth Houghton, Claire Wheetman, Dave Bixter, Evonne Keeler, Alex Jackson and Charlotte Watts. I didn't see Alex Jackson's work as it was being repaired, Dave Bixter's work is a shape made from tape and is suspended above the gallery (see pic). I met Jason Jones who works there and he kindly showed me round the whole building. It was good to see so many workshops for every kind of art activity and students' works-in-progress everywhere. I almost felt like signing up for a degree but, of course, it would be hard work so I soon dismissed that idea. The building is the old SFX school and £millions has been spent on refurbishment, the main hall is really impressive. The gallery is the area around the main staircase as you enter the building.

Christmas 2004 Exhibition at the University Senate House until Dec 17th. 121 paintings of varying standard. I'm sure I saw some of these last week in the South Liverpool show. e.g John Jones' oils and Lawrence Dunn's pastels of Wirral scenes. Bad luck if your picture gets hung near the counters, its difficult to see past the queues of students. They seem to be selling well, a lot of people getting original artworks in their stockings this Christmas I reckon.

...is the title of the latest exhibition at the Bluecoat. Its supported by Fivearts Cities and features collaborative work from recent projects involving communities working together with artists in the city. There's some videos about the importance of gardens, people in the Bluecoat garden talk about why they like to go there (why does the camera have to get so close? You can see what these guys have had for lunch and how many hairs they have up their noses!). The 'WILD!' 12ft square mural is there, it was in the Museum of Liverpool life during the Biennial now its accompanied by some lightboxes. I liked the cylindrical light boxes which are part of a response to the Liverpool Reads initiative which aims to get everyone in the city reading 'Holes' by Louis Sachar. I'm still a bit of a rebel, I'm reluctant to read any book the authorities are trying to ram down my throat. Though the project is a good idea I suppose.

I used to hate the crowded city centres, especially at this time of year but now I have a much more Taoist, go-with-the-flow attitude and am happy to just observe and be amused by the craziness of the human race.
So I'm on my way to the Walker and staggering along Clarence St. in a zig-zag manner is one of the local winos (St Luke's seems to be a no-go area at last (except for Pat of course)). Every so often she stops and frantically waves her arms at a passing car and screams 'You're going the wrong way!!'. Hilarious but disturbing.

Art DIY at the Walker and Tea Factory

I went to 2 viewings on Friday evening. I have to fight my way through the crowds of office workers on route to their Christmas parties, the walk back later on should be quite entertaining. I make it to the Domino Gallery in Upper Newington to see 'Degrees of Abstraction' Recent work by Steve Strode
Steve is a Liverpool artist but these works are inspired by the Cornish coast, the title alludes to how the paintings start off quite realistic but become more abstract as you progress through the show. They are all oils on canvas or panels and are nicely presented with some of the smaller frames being grouped together. I bumped into another local artist, Jason Jones. there. He'd just been to the Loop and that's where I was off to next...

Walking from Domino to the Loop Gallery in Princes Dock I go past the new fountain in Williamson Square, lots of kids are running through it getting soaked, looks good, must return and take some photos some time. At the Loop its Arthur Roberts' Retro9404 works from the last 10 years. There are several of his familiar geometric shapes painted in acrylic but also some finely drawn in pencil. There's an installation called 'wave' which has several smaller works hanging from chains of different lengths as if the pictures were moored to the harbour that this gallery overlooks.
Went to a bar afterwards and I was right about the walk home - drunken bodies all over the place!

Darkly Comic at FACT - took a quick look at this today but I'll have to go back when I have more time, the video in Gallery 2 runs for about 20 minutes.

Watch This Space at Bluecoat just opened - might get there tomorrow.

Faith at the Cornerstone - must see next week, not open at weekends.

Arthur Roberts at the Loop - opens tomorrow should be good.

Steve Strode at Domino - opens tomorrow.

Art DIY at Walker - opens tomorrow and I must go this weekend as there should be a giant sculpture of a Jaguar which is only there until 16.00 on Sunday!

Christmas shopping - you must be joking!!

Go to the artinliverpool.com homepage for more details.

This is an exhibition of works by Nicholas Franklin who is an art director for Mersey TV currently working on Hollyoaks. There are a few small canvases of really thick impasto paintings of things like chocolate bars and chewing gum packets which I quite like (the paintings not the products). There are several (too many?) works called Pride which are covered in those aids style ribbons only made from strips of paper cut from magazines which completely cover the different shaped canvases. Also some simple swirly paintings, not very exciting and other stuff (they've made use of every bit of wall space upstairs) including photographs of Kylie Minogue and Nadia (who she?). Unity link

This has to be worth a visit...
Tuesday 7th December 2004 - 31st March 2005
Picton Reading Room, Central Library, William Brown Street L3
0151 233 5844
A free exhibition centred around the 19th century four volume work "Birds of North America" by the illustrious American artist John James Audubon. It represents the most ambitious and comprehensive ornithological work ever produced. Liverpool is fortunate in having one of only 120 in the world and because each copy was hand coloured every one is unique. This is only one item from the Central Library historic Special Collection, one of the best of its kind in the country.
There's a review in the Guardian

I thought that once the Biennial was over things would be very quiet. Not so. I visited four new exhibitions today and there's more starting in the next few days.

'Sleeping By The Mississippi' Alec Soth at Open Eye

South Liverpool Arts Group Annual Exhibition

'Sue Lee - A Celebration'

Jonny Nettles and Shelly Turner at the Kif

At L.Issue Gallery in the Urban Coffee, Smithdown Rd.
This opened on Nov 30th and ends Jan 16th.

I went to the private viewing on Friday and immediately spotted some familiar graffiti art by Stok that I'd seen on derelict buildings in the Duke St. area. Its a bit odd seeing them in a gallery but I quite like them. There's other graffiti works, Batik paintings by Rita and a cabinet full of jewellery by 'Alice in Wonderland'. There should be something by Mike Badger there by now, it had been delayed.

This weblog follows on from the successful Biennial Blog 2004 in which I recorded my (almost) daily visits to exhibitions, performances, talks, parties and other events throughout the full 10 weeks. The blog also proved to be a useful resource for artists and curators as well as the general public.
Plans are in place to blog future Liverpool Biennials and the Capital of Culture year 2008.

Now although the Biennial is over there is still a lot of activity in the art scene in Liverpool and I felt it would be a good idea to try and continue the project. This weblog is part of my artinliverpool.com website which lists details of all the Art Galleries in Liverpool. So this seems the natural place to host this online journal of previews. reviews and news regarding the exhibitions and events.

In a similar style to the Biennial Blog, there'll be some light-hearted stuff, some serious reviews and a few pictures along the way.
Hopefully, people will add comments and make constructive suggestions.